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Army on standby to cover Olympic security crisis

Members of Armed Forces rise the flag during Olympic rehearsals Photo: Tom Dulat/LOCOG/PA

The first competitors are due to take up residence in the Athletes' Village for the London Olympics today, after a weekend in which the security of the event was called into question.

The first of the Olympics Games Lanes also comes into operation today on the recently repaired and reopened M4, hours after the Government refused to rule out the prospect of drafting in more troops in the wake of the G4S security fiasco.

With less than two weeks until the opening ceremony, ministers insisted the Games would be secure and dismissed the firm's failure to provide the promised 10,000 security guards as no more than a "hitch".

Yesterday, however, it emerged that they had been warned 10 months ago in a confidential report by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) about concerns over security.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt was at pains to defend G4S from criticism, even going so far as to suggest it was "completely normal" for firms to break their contractual commitments on large projects.

But pressed on whether the 3,500 additional troops who have been brought in to make up the shortfall would be sufficient, he said: "We have contingency plans for all eventualities."